Tuesday, September 12, 2017

It’s September – my month of refresh. Just as I need a bit of a reset so does my stationery collection. That’s where Whimsy + Wild’s sweet cards come in. They’re pretty and cheery and bound to make your penpals smile. With cooler nights and earlier sunsets I’m finding more and more time to add letter writing to my evening routine. You too?

Julie of Whimsy + Wild shares some of her background >

Where do you live?

I
live in Belding, Michigan which is a small city about 40 minutes NE of
Grand Rapids (where I’m originally from)! There isn’t a lot here, but
I’m grateful for a good coffee shop around the corner and the slowness
of a smaller town.

How did you start Whimsy + Wild?

I
always thought about starting up a shop of my own because I’ve been very
interested in art throughout my life and working for myself felt right.
My husband and I temporarily moved to Arizona for his schooling, and
while there I started learning hand lettering + became infatuated with
stationery and paper. I originally thought about getting into wedding
stationery but quickly decided I loved creating products more—I
personally love the freedom of creating exactly what I want to make.
When we arrived home I started planning for my online shop, and the
following spring I finally opened it up!

What are you reading?

I
recently started The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. I’ve always wanted
to be a bit more of an early riser because I love slow mornings, and I
started taking small steps earlier this year to make that a reality.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I’m a pretty big
homebody, so in my spare time you’ll often find me at home hanging out
with my husband and our two dogs, probably watching something on
Netflix. And on Sundays, my family always gets together to hang out. I
really enjoy simple pleasures like that, spending time with the people I
love. I also love grabbing coffee and chatting with close friends. And
I’ve been trying to get out more and enjoy nature, even just on walks,
because I don’t do it as much as I’d like to!

Where did you last travel?

I recently went on a small camping trip with family just an hour north of my home, but it was so nice to get away for a short time and relax. I’ve been itching to have a little getaway with my husband somewhere further north in Michigan because I just love this state so much, and I think it’d be nice for the two of us to slow down and get into nature.

What are your influences/inspiration?

I’m deeply inspired by nature—particularly sunlight, water and flora. I’m often noticing the way the sunlight is dancing through my windows or shining through leaves. I’ve also noticed more recently how inspired I am by the water and being near it—how it moves and how the light hits it. These give me a really good feeling, and the resulting happiness is very inspiring for me. And of course, I love flora of all types, and I’ve been trying to incorporate more of that into my work this year. I’ve always been an admirer of the little things in life, and I find myself very inspired by them in my everyday life.

My work in particular is also inspired by simple designs and minimal colors. I love trying to convey something using such limited means—it can be challenging at times, but also fun to see what I can create with them.

What's your favourite podcast?

I’m not a huge podcast listener… I’ve tried to be, but I’m so bad at it! I would be listening while trying to work and realize minutes later that I had not actually heard what they said. However, I do still try to listen when I’m doing work that doesn’t require a lot of thought, so I can focus on the podcast. The new Proof to Product podcast from Katie Hunt of Tradeshow Bootcamp is amazing — she interviews business owners and it’s so inspiring to hear about their processes, inspirations, struggles and achievements!

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Okay. It’s hot, hot summer over here and instead of taking a correspondence break I make it simple and easy. I tuck a few (gorgeous and minimal!) cards, trusty vintage postage, my go-to alphabet rubber stamps and black ink pad into a tote bag and head outside. (Little trick: Use a pencil eraser to make polka dots on envelopes.) My courtyard is shady, breezy and surrounded by birds a-chirping and a very cute herb garden. This is where I slow it down and write a few letters summer-style. (Cold watermelon wedges optional!)

In Haus Press handprints some of the prettiest, simply designed black and white cards around. “You can have any color, as long as it’s black.” Henry Ford

Treasa shares a bit of her story >

Where do you live?

San Francisco, California.

How did you start In Haus Press?

Before In Haus Press, I was a pastry chef with a graphic design background. I realised that I preferred designing correspondence rather than recipes, so I decided to pursue what made me happy, and focus on stationery design. In 2010, my husband surprised me with a tabletop printing press, and I remember writing the business plan for In Haus Press that very night. I had no idea where to begin, but I knew I wanted to turn what I loved into a successful business. I spent every free moment learning everything there was to know about letterpress printing. Teaching yourself a craft is a beautiful thing. It's a lot of work, and you have to love the process. You have to want to be great at what you do, and be patient with yourself. For me there is no substitution for having learned something on your own. It was hard finding simple, stylish cards that I liked, so I began designing my own. A handwritten note is such a traditional and intimate way to communicate, and I love knowing that something I've designed will be used to convey someone's thoughts and wishes. That’s why a handwritten note - no matter the design - will always be in style.

I hadn't realized this until a friend pointed it out, but most of my work is influenced by the language I use with friends and family. I design my stationery around the little phrases and sayings that we use day to day. I'm also heavily influenced by European culture and minimalist interiors.

I recently had a little girl in May, so she's who I love spending every moment with these days, but the other answer to that is collaborating on projects with my husband. We have a lot of side projects that we work on together - coffee roasting, a tee shirt brand, to name a few - so when I'm not designing/printing work for In Haus Press, that's where you'll find me.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

1. This sweet book.
2. Trying new (healthy-ish) recipes. (Including this one.)
3. Peaches so ripe they must be eaten over the sink.
4. Lazy Sunday picnicking.
5. Traffic-less country roads winding through orchards and vineyards.

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Stamp collecting was once a for-real hobby. Gardening and bird-watching and painting are still kicking but it seems that there are fewer and fewer stamp collecting hobbyists out there.

“Stamp collecting expands the scope of your world and helps you to discover faraway places and peoples.” Harris Explorer World-Wide Postage Stamp Album

While out on a meandering walk yesterday I dropped by my local Little Free Library and found this incredible stamp collection. It belonged to Sally Armstrong. Her name written in ballpoint pen on the cover. A 1970s gem left in an attic for many years. And the most delightful surprise for me. I think I’ll be pouring over it for days and days.

P.S. I think Sally had a thing for Australia, New Zealand and the UK as those pages are filled to the brim!